Procrastination to Oodles of Action- 10 Tips from Stop to a Record of Completions

“No action, no change. Limited action, limited change. Lots of action- Change occurs.”  Catherine Pulsifier

Procrastinators: Leaders of Tomorrow, the t-shirt phrase puts it right into perspective. If you want to lead a fulfilling life you have to get moving today on the tasks that will make the difference. Whether you suffer from the procrastination bug in one area or throughout your life the following ten tips can help take you from paralysis to achievement.

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Sally Berger

Begin- Enough said. No more excuses. Just get started. Inaction causes anxiety. Perceptions often shift once you begin and are making progress. So suck it up and take that very first step. You will feel much better once progressing.

Mini Step- Do what you know you can do. Great accomplishments are achieved through an abundance of small actions. Break the task as far down as needed, even if it seems ridiculous, in order to progress forward. Take one step at a time.

“If you want to make an easy job seem hard, just keep putting off doing it.” Olin Miller

Set Deadlines- Set a timer for a small block of time you know you can commit to such as 15-20 minutes. Eliminate distractions as much as possible. This small block of focused action can help you to move toward your goals and away from procrastination. Work productively. Allow what you accomplish to motivate you to continue taking steps.

Focus on the End Result- Instead of thinking about what you are resisting focus on how great you will feel at the end. What is your motivation? What will you gain? Allow that to motivate you daily into action all the way through to completion.

Be Honest- Perceptions can be misleading. We can make things seem harder than what they really are. Instead of telling yourself the typical procrastination excuse, be candid. Get to know yourself better. The better you know yourself the greater chance of aligning with goals and work that you can be excited about. Get down to the source, the real issue behind the procrastination. Ask:

     In what area(s) am I procrastinating?
     Do I really want to do this or is it an unappealing task?
     Is a fear holding me back? If so, fear of what?
     Am I overwhelmed, indecisive, or lacking information to move forward?

Like identifying an illness, once you get to the source you can create a strategy to overcome it.**

“Someday is not a day of the week.” Dennis Brennan-Nelson

Except No Excuses, Only Results- Life is bumpy. The more action you take the more you learn how to handle and avoid bumps in the road. So don’t stop and sit along the side. Keep on! You will gain knowledge, experience, courage, and feel a sense of progress, growth, and accomplishment. Take lots of purposeful action.

Do the Toughest Task First- Get the action you resist most out of the way first thing in the morning. It will help add energy, motivation, confidence, and good, fuzzy feelings to the rest of the day.

Get a Support and Accountability Partner- Find that special someone, a friend, support group, or hire a business or life coach or other professional depending on what you want to accomplish, that will provide encouragement and support to stay on track. We accomplish more with support and accountability. When we struggle an accountability partner can remind us of what we have to gain.

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.” Anthony Robbins

Keep a Victory Log- Building a record of completions step-by-step builds confidence as you view your progress. It provides motivation to take more action. Simply jot down in one place the tasks you complete in working toward your goal(s) and notice your success rate expand.

Fuel Your Body- Caring for your body by making healthy food choices, drinking lots of water, exercising, taking rejuvenation breaks throughout the day, and getting a good night’s sleep can improve your willingness to do what needs to be done. Add the fuel you need for peak performance to make the most of each day.

Progress boosts well being. Whether procrastinating in one or numerous areas, understand procrastination is a choice. Take one doable action after another towards your goal. Allow it to inspire more action. Take oodles of purposeful action building a record of achievements. Begin with the first step… Starting Now!

** You can find more information on strategies for various sabotaging behaviors in the article 4 Essentials to Break Through Procrastination on Overcome Sabotaging Behaviors page

Is Your Mindset Holding You Back? Apply a Growth Mindset & Build Extraordinary Abilities

“I have always been deeply moved by outstanding achievement and saddened by wasted potential.” Dr Carol Dweck

World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Dr Carol Dweck explains, “For 20 years my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.” [1]  Dr Dweck initially discovered the benefits of a growth mindset in achieving higher levels of success and shared them in her book, ‘Mindset, The New Psychology of Success’.[2]  Learning how you approach daily activities is significant in determining whether or not you are on track to fill the gap to your potential. At the end of this article I hope you move forward with a better understanding of how your current mindset is supporting or holding you back. And also have new information and resources to continue developing a growth mindset that expands your abilities and possibilities!

First, what distinguishes a fixed mindset from a growth mindset? Dr Dweck states, “a person with a fixed mindset believes we are all born with a certain set of skills and competencies. We either have a talent for something or we don’t.”[3] In contrast she explains, “If you have a full-on growth mindset, anything and everything is possible. If there is something you have an interest in yet don’t know how to do, you do whatever it takes to learn it.”[4] One with a fixed mindset may initially appear talented. The fixed mindset shows up when they encounter negative criticism, obstacles, or feel threatened by someone with greater skills. Ego takes over. Time is spent attempting to appear talented, avoiding challenges, or quitting rather than striving to grow and develop. A person with a growth mindset may first appear awkward or inadequate but they know they can improve with practice. Failure, critiques, and being with those who are more successful are not threatening and embraced as opportunities to learn and improve. Obstacles are simply glitches to overcome. The growth mindset builds motivation, drive, and a hard work ethic to learn, grow, persist, and master leading to great achievements.

The good news is that we have the ability to choose. We can change at anytime from a fixed to growth mindset and it is relatively simple with some focused attention. Which mindset fits you today? Which one of the sentences below best matches how you feel?

   ~ People are who they are with what they have been given. Your basic intelligence, talents, and personality traits do not change much.
   ~ People have the ability to substantially develop their intelligence, talents, and personality traits through focused effort.

The first statement is characteristic of a fixed mindset, while the second is indicative of a growth mindset. So how do you make the shift when the fixed mindset is holding you back?

Notice the Evidence- Think about something that was really hard that you have improved in dramatically. Notice the stories of others all around us who have built expertise in areas you would never expect. Over the years I’ve learned that seeing someone struggle at the start has little insight to their success. More important is their approach to the activity.

Be Aware when the Fixed Mindset Shows Up- When negative self-talk is questioning your abilities like whether you are smart, talented, or experienced enough, ask: What will I gain from this experience? i.e. knowledge, experience, developing a skill, strengthening your courage muscle, etc. You may just be feeling unprepared. Shift to the growth mindset making a commitment to learn more, develop skills, and improve.

Know that Your Mindset is a Choice- You choose which direction you focus. Will you focus on being limited (fixed mindset)? Or will you open the possibilities by instilling the belief you can learn, grow, develop, and achieve with effort (growth mindset)?

Choose Growth Mindset Language- Growth mindset language is not critical and does not stop you in your tracks. It is encouraging, such as: “I may not be good now, but I will study daily and become an expert.” “I may be new but I still have value to offer and will learn tremendously from this experience.” “This is one tough obstacle but I will keep at it until I get it, even if I have to get help from someone more experienced.” “Can’t? What is that? Not even in my vocabulary.”

So how can you encourage growth mindset in others such as your employees, children, family, friends, associates, etc.? Avoid labels by complimenting the effort they have put into the achievement instead of complimenting ‘who’ you believe them to be.

The growth mindset creates a more realistic, honest self-view as you discern from each experience what you like, don’t like, strengths, and weaknesses. The fixed mindset, however, creates a distorted self-view, exaggerated and limited, distancing you from knowing yourself and your true abilities. Howard Gardner has studied exceptional people. In his book Extraordinary Minds he concludes exceptional individuals have “a special talent for identifying their own strengths and weaknesses.”[5] Since the fixed mindset does not analyze abilities other than trying to determine how good they are, it is safe to say extraordinary minds work in a growth mindset.

How will you view daily experiences and challenges from here on out? It is your choice. May you move forward today with a growth mindset that supports you to learn, develop, and experience your extraordinary abilities… StartingNow!

[1] Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., Mindset- The New Psychology of Success, 2006, (New York: Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, 2007), 6.
[2] Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., Mindset- The New Psychology of Success, 2006, (New York: Ballantine Books, a division of Random House, 2007)
[3] Terry Waghorn, Are You Trapped In A Fixed Mindset? Fix It!, Forbes.com 04/20/09
( http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/20/mindset-psychology-succcess-leadership-careers-dweck.html )
[4] Terry Waghorn, Are You Trapped In A Fixed Mindset? Fix It!, Forbes.com 04/20/09
( http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/20/mindset-psychology-succcess-leadership-careers-dweck.html )
[5] Howard Gardner, Extraordinary Minds (New York:Basic Books, 1997)